I'm With You
by Notorious George Weasley
Summary: AU Ren is a Chinese dude working and lonely. TaoRenHoroHoro. They meet at a party and stuff happens, (Horohoro is a bartender!) Soon, Ren finds himself falling in love. AW! Fluffy, or soon to be. Hope ya like it!
1. The Life of No One Special

HEY! Yea, I'm moving on in my fanfic career… So here's something for Shaman King FANS! This IS AU, it's cute, fluffy, though Ren is COMPLETELY out of character. I apologize if this offends anyone, but if you flame me, I will be mad and write no more. So be careful~! AND NOW, TO THE STORY!

Chapter 1: The life of no one special

There he stood, alone, helpless but so proud that no one would know what he felt. Snow fell around the short Chinese boy and the wind blew by, turning his tears to ice. The bridge where he stood was old and made of cold steel, much like his heart. Below the river was moving with blocks of dark ice in it. They just drifted along, nothing neither touching them nor stopping them from the waterfall that lay 13 miles ahead, where they would split and shatter on the rocks below. Some how, the boy felt as if he were one of those blocks of ice, just caught in the flow of every day life, untouched, unmoved, uncared for. Nothing was stopping him from just jumping off the bridge on this cold winter night and joining the frozen water below as just another mound of ice. And yet, the boy turned from watching the river and began walking back across the bridge to his home.

It's a pure rule that life is lonely in the big city, especially around Christmas time. People busily walk in and out of stores, spending money on things they'll give to someone else and never see again, and most of it will be thrown away or forgotten, or given to yet another someone. People were happy and families were drawn together once again just for them to leave a week later. It was cold, lonesome, depressing, and it made the Chinese boy feel like he was once again singled out.

As he walked by houses, Christmas lights lit up his golden eyes. Red, green, gold, and white, it was just a gimmick to pay more on your electric bill. He looked in on house windows, into living rooms covered in snowmen, holly, wreathes, and (of course) a Christmas tree covered in decorations. On the floor where parents wrapping gifts for their children. After all, they needed to be ready for the holiday at the end of the week. And it was only Monday; Christmas was still a full 5 days away.

The crunch of snow under his black leather boots was the only sound that filled his ears as snowflakes fluttered around him, covering his hair, shoulders, and wool jacket with a thin powder. The tears had stopped coming now and all that remained in those gold eyes was a strong feeling of emptiness, as if somehow he had missed something, but he couldn't have. Tao Ren never misses anything.

The doorknob was cold and if not for the leather gloves, his hand would have been stuck to the brass. With a heave, the short and nimble Chinese boy forced his front door open, reminding himself to oil the hinges in the morning. There were no lights on, no tree, no decorations, just… the house with a few scattered pieces of furniture, because it wasn't like he had anyone to expect.

Closing the door again, he shed the wool coat, the leather gloves, the black boots, and the knitted scarf as he walked up the stairs to the second level.

It wasn't that he was brought up without Christmas, because he was. It wasn't that he didn't like the holiday, because he did. And it wasn't that he didn't have enough money to buy anything, because he had tons of it. The only thing was that he had no one special to share it with. No one seemed important enough to him to get a present for. So he made up excuses here and there to get out of parties, gifts, and buying stuff. Ren was sure though, that this charade would soon end, because he did work in a Bon Marché, and people were getting suspicious.

It was past midnight, and he had to get up at 5 tomorrow, so the tan skinned short boy climbed into his bed. Indeed he was a boy. He was 18, but still so young and innocent it seemed, and everywhere he went it seemed like he was carded, because he just looked… young.

Soon, his breathing was slow and deep, as he closed his gold eyes, not bothering about his deep purple hair, which always stuck up like a horn. Under his down comforter, he felt like crying but couldn't bring himself to again. He wanted to give up but didn't know what. And his troubled mind turned to the matter of setting up that new window display tomorrow, a matter that would affect him.


	2. Better Than Just an Acquaintance

Chapter 2: Better than just an acquaintance

"Ren, you're late." Said a calm voice as a man with messy, shoulder length hair struggled with a painted sign. The Chinese boy nodded and went to the back room to drop his outer layer and put on his red apron. As he walked by a gaggle of perfume clerks to get to his locker, he noticed that on the clock on the wall it was indeed 30 minutes after the time on his watch. With a grumble, he took off his stalled watch and threw it in the garbage can and shoved his coat, gloves, and scarf into the locker, ignoring the mirror that showed the dark circles beneath his distant gold eyes.

He walked back out to the man with brown hair and grabbed the other end of the heavy sign reading, "It's not too late to buy presents!" in bright green letters. Outside it was dark and overcast. Another storm was coming. Loud music filtered out of the headphones surrounding his partner's ears. But despite all that, he could still hear people talking… or could he just read lips?

"Why are you so sad?" He asked, finally hanging the sign on its two posts. Ren shrugged and began straightening up the tinsel on the floor. "You can at least say something, you know that when you're quiet you give me the willies, then again it is one of those mornings," the brown haired one said, turning around a manikin's hat.

"Good morning, Yoh." The Chinese boy said, beginning to fix a lop-sided plastic Christmas tree. Yoh smiled back and said no more.

It was one of those mornings. In fact, it was one of those days. Rude, demanding, vague, and just plain clueless customers with their "needs" made Ren testy, but he just kept the look of remoteness on his face, which seemed to unnerve them, making the Chinese one feel a bit better. Sure, they were bad mannered and offensive, but the quicker you deal with them the faster they go away. At lunch, all anyone could talk about was what gifts they had bought so and so, what they were expecting from someone else, and what parties they were going to and holding.

Ren, as always, sat alone, eating his homemade noodles and chicken. His gold eyes fluttered from one person to the next, already weary from his work and most likely from his walk last night. Silence was his only escape in this workplace of his, yet he had to break it when Yoh sat down next to him.

"You are sad about something, I know you are." The brown haired boy repeated. He was very persistent, Ren had to give him that, though he still did not want to explain. "Ren, you know I'm going to get it out of you sometime." The Chinese boy nodded and began, his gold eyes fixed on his brown noodles.

"I'm…lonely." The golden-eyed one whispered, almost ashamed to admit it. He didn't want to cry but the tears were getting harder and harder to conceal each time he thought about returning to his empty house. Unwelcoming and lifeless, the house itself was cold, despite the weather outside.

"Oh, I'm sorry… anything I can do to help?"

"No. And I think I may just have to get used to the idea of staying alone." Ren murmured, though he should've been used to being alone already. He had been for 6 years.

Then a bright but small smile placed itself on Yoh's face. With a soft sigh he all-knowingly cooed, "Wait for tonight, I believe that you may get something out of this party." As Ren raised and eyebrow, the break bell rang and work started again, making it impossible for the short tan boy to get an answer from the brown haired boy.


	3. Unexpected Surprises

Chapter 3: Unexpected Surprises

Work ended at 6 that day, and Ren almost forgot Yoh's invitation to the party. But the brown haired man would not let him forget. So there they were, in Yoh's black Chrysler, at a red light on Magnolia and 1st. Yoh was drumming his fingers on the steering wheel as he turned the volume of the music coming out of the radio up. Those tan ears never thought they'd hear heavy metal holiday songs.

Ren's eyes were looking out the window, at the snow and slush pushed up on the sidewalks, covering ice and frozen cigarette buts. The red tint from the traffic light gave the white piles a rosy tinge, which changed to aqua as the car accelerated.

"We're going to Manta's. You remember him, don't you?" Yoh asked, sideways smiling at the Chinese boy. How could he forget? Manta was all Yoh could talk about. He was Yoh's once short lover who was in college, studying accounting, law, and how he was to someday run his father's company. Manta, who was once only about 4ft tall was now 5'9'', three inches taller than Yoh and six inches taller than Ren. When he was 12, he memorized the dictionary. Thus, his vocabulary was… colorful, to say the least.

"Yes." Was his only answer as he watched passing houses. Manta's would be big; big and elegant. A mansion probably, considering his bank account and how Yoh described it like a castle. Though, Ren thought, how would Yoh know every room in detail, especially the "guest bedroom"? The Chinese boy was waiting for the two to move in together.

They pulled up in the driveway of a huge mansion. It was white, 3 stories tall with an attic, and probably a cellar beneath the ground. In front was a marble fountain of a mermaid sitting on a rock, blowing a conch while water spouted out of it. Already Ren felt slightly out of place as he stepped out of the car, closing the door.

The women walking in had beautiful dresses on that looked hand-made for them. Colors ranged from a deep red to an elegant emerald green. All the men were in nice suits, some even in tuxes. Ren stood there, dressed in a starched white shirt, black tuxedo pants, and a vest under a heavy coat. He felt like a waiter as he clutched his gold wrapped present to him. Yoh emerged wearing a red sweater and baggy black pants that were cut off at his shins, and his headphones now green.

"Why don't you have a present?" the Chinese boy asked, walking next to the brown haired man up to the steps. A weird smile crept over his coworker's face as he looked at the raven-haired boy.

"I do… just not a very public one." Ren didn't want to know anymore so he asked nothing else. 

The two approached the solid oak doors and knocked using the solid brass knocker. Manta was clearly loaded, and not just with money. The door opened and a smiling face welcomed them, antique furniture could be seen in the background.

"Yoh, I've been waiting for you to get here, come in and introduce me to your friend."

Manta had his blonde hair tied back with a green ribbon and his face was full of kindness. The two stepped in out of the cold and around were people, people, and more people: mostly upper class and older then Ren, not to mention taller too. Yoh smiled as a butler took their coats and hugged Manta, looking almost like a child with this man. This image almost shocked the Chinese boy, was that what love looked like?

"Manta, I've missed you."

"So have I, so, who is your friend?"

Yoh blinked and looked back at the gold eyes. "That's Tao Ren, Ren, this is Manta."

"Nice to meet you." Manta said kindly, offering a hand. Ren looked at it, then looked at the pale face extending it. He neither moved nor spoke. Yoh whispered something in Manta's ear and he nodded. "Well, make yourself at home. There's a bar over there, hors d'oeuvres, and plenty of places to sit." And the two walked off.

The gold eyes shifted around and he began to walk into the crowd before him, shifting behind and in front of people. Suddenly, someone stepped back and ran into the Chinese boy. He smiled, without an apology, and said, "Would you get me a brandy?"

Of all the nerve, the man thought he was a waiter. Without a word Ren walked off to the bar, his eyes changing from angry to hurt, then back to angry with every step. He didn't belong here. He didn't belong amongst these people. He belonged at home, alone, in his room.

Ren sat down and folded his arms on the counter, searching for something in the polished mahogany to ease his pain and aching. Needless to say, he didn't find anything, then again it was just wood. But, in front of him, there was something, or someone, rather.

"Can I get you something, sir?" a calm voice asked from behind the counter. Ren's eyes darted up to meet the brown ones looking at him with compassion. Some color passed over his tan cheeks as he mumbled, "Coke."

The man had blue hair, gelled up in little spike whereas the underside of his hair remained a dark brown. His eyes didn't part from the gold ones as he put the coke on the counter. Ren didn't know what was happening or what to do, so he stood up and walked away from the bartender, finding a place to sit on a couch in the parlor.

He sipped his coke through the straw, contemplating whether or not he should go back and asking himself why he wanted to. It was just another bartender, but soon someone sat down next to him.

The man was tall and thin, a bit bony. His pale face was long and sickly, though glee pulled at the man's dark and almost blue lips. There were dark, dark circles under his blue and lifeless eyes, which were full of wisdom and almost a kind of irony or cynicism. His thin and wispy yellow hair hung at different lengths on his head, covered bye a white hat with a flower coming out of it. Orange gloves covered his hands, a white slim-fitting coat covered his shoulders and torso, and his pants were black, going with his black boots.

The man's smile was almost disturbing. It was full of glee, pain, hopelessness, and sarcasm, and his air was indecisive. 

"Hello," the man said, a thick German accent made it difficult to understand him at first. "What brings you to this party?"

Ren looked up at the now fully smiling man. Obviously he was a doctor because a tear in his coat was stitched up with medical thread, and he must've spent a long time in Germany, if not been born there. "…I'm a friend of a friend of Manta." The Chinese boy answered, almost surprised that he was speaking to the man.

"Ah, I see." He said, almost to himself. Ren was beginning to get a bit uneasy when the man looked at him and introduced himself. "I am Faust VIII. Sorry for being so rude."

"You weren't rude at all… in fact, I think you're the first person here besides Yoh to treat me as a guest."

"Ah, so Yoh is your friend. I might've guessed. But why do you say that no one else treats you like a guest?"

Ren blushed as he looked at his coke. "Some guy thought I was a waiter."

To the surprise of the Chinese boy, the man burst out laughing. Faust's laugh wasn't cruel or cold, in fact it was quite warm, but, much like his eyes, it lacked life. It almost sounded like an empty echo, a mere negative of the real picture, a shadow of its former zeal. Something about the man's glee was extremely tragic.

"Don't worry about it. People often mistake me for a Halloween fanatic. They're just ignorant."

"…Yeah…"

"I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your name."

The Chinese boy resisted a rude retort as he muttered, "Ren. Tao Ren."

"So you _are_ Chinese then. Good, I was beginning to think I was losing my gift at guessing accents. Then I'm guessing you work with Yoh?"

"In the Bon Marché down town, yes."

"Ah. Manta has told me so many times about Yoh that I almost can't forgive myself for forgetting. I myself am a doctor, and used to be quite a renowned one. Still am in Germany… perhaps."

"How do you know Manta?"

"I'm partially his doctor, partially his friend. We met when he did research about famous doctors. My name came up and he was thrilled to see that 1: I'm still alive, and 2: that I was related to the best doctor and scholar of all. The infamous Faust that all those plays and books were written about. He sold his soul to the devil for sorcery, necromancy mainly. It now seems to run in the family."

The man, who was growing stranger by the minute, took a sip of his tea, a nostalgic and forlorn look in his eyes. Ren stared at him for a long time and then allowed his gold eyes to drop once again to the ice cube at the bottom on his now empty glass.

"Nice to meet you then, Faust." He said respectfully as he stood.

"Going back to the bartender?" The older man inquired, still looking out into space. The Chinese boy blushed as he looked in shock at Faust. Then he shook his head and walked up to the bar, not letting himself admit that he now longed for the bartender with blue hair.


	4. Sudden Loss of Character

God, I really have had nothing to do lately, so here's the fourth chapter.

Chapter 4: Sudden Loss of Character 

He remained at the party till he was the last guest. Yoh and Manta had disappeared, though Ren had full knowledge of where they were and what they were doing. That knowledge was not necessarily a good thing. The Chinese boy sat where he had all evening, in the corner of the ballroom on an antique oak-wood chair, drinking his emptiness away with coke after coke and now watching the maids and servants sweep the floor around him.

He couldn't drive and his bike was nowhere to be found. Yoh had obviously anticipated that he would get a ride home, but not necessarily to his own. It was so like Yoh that Ren couldn't really blame him; it was just how he was. Though Yoh, after knowing Tao Ren for 5 years should know that he wouldn't do that.

The Chinese boy's house was 4 miles away and it was snowing hard, but snow never hurt anyone… until they froze and died…

"You're not really thinking about going out there alone, are you sir?" The butler asked as he gave Ren his coat. He just nodded and opened the front door.

The wind bit his face and his hands were already cold, but Ren wanted to get home so badly that some ice wouldn't put a stop to him. So he trudged on, through the snow and sleet now coming down in blankets. The crunch of the snow filled his ears as the moisture seeped through his boot to his feet. By the end of the first mile, Ren could not feel his toes.

The night had been horrible. He had been left there, people thought he was a waiter, and only two people talked to him. Though, out of the two, one was insane and a nice person to talk with, and the other was just a bartender Ren would never see again. It wasn't so bad. At least he hadn't been completely alone.

Around Hemlock Drive, a blue Ferrari pulled up next to the half-frozen Chinese boy. He looked over and recognized the bartender with spiky blue hair. Ren stopped walking, half because his feet were so sore.

The bartender rolled down the window and smiled kindly. "Want a lift? It's a bit cold to be walking… especially from Manta's place."

Ren looked very long and hard at the bartender. His hair was soaked, he was shivering like mad, and he would be sick tomorrow… What's the harm of a car ride from a complete stranger?

He got into the car and was immensely happy to find that the leather seats were heated, along with the rest of the car. The bartender continued to drive in the direction Ren had been walking.

"My name's Horohoro." He said, smiling at the Chinese boy next to him. He didn't get an answer. Ren felt too self-conscious to say anything. "So, where do you live?"

It took about 25 minutes to get to Ren's house, and to him they seemed like seconds. He felt something in that car, near Horohoro, though he wouldn't admit it. He shouldn't become attached to someone he'd never see again.

Ren shut the car door and began walking up to his house, surprised that the bartender also got out and followed him up to his door.

"I wanna see you again." Horohoro said. His voice sent shivers up the Chinese boy's spine as he looked at his door. He didn't want the bartender to see him blush.

"Maybe you will… Maybe you won't." Ren mumbled as he opened the door. His house was empty and dark again. He shouldn't be surprised though. He was destined to be alone. Horohoro looked right into the sad gold eyes. As if his heart had sent out a call, the blue haired man returned it. Ren looked up at him with a blush growing.

"Please?" He asked, his eyes a bit dire. The purple haired boy looked at the ground, ashamed to be blushing again. He never blushed, what was happening to him? The Chinese boy felt a warm and soft hand around his cold wrist as Horohoro tenderly searched the gold eyes for some reassurance.

Maybe it was the snow, maybe it was the sugar rush, maybe it was just something _more_, but for reasons unknown, Ren turned back and said to meet him in the mall's coffee house at 12, for his break. The blue haired guy smiled, even when the Chinese boy gently pulled away and into his house, closing the door quietly behind him. He caught his breath and leaned against the door.

Why was he so breathless after just talking with a normal bartender? But… to Ren… he was anything but normal. With a sigh, he grabbed a blanket and began the trek up his stairs. Tomorrow was going to be nerve wracking.


	5. The First Time

Chapter 5: The First Time

Ren was 3 hours into the workday before Yoh showed up. Needless to say, the brown haired guy looked… "ruffled". His hair was sticking up and puffy, his tie was undone, his shirt was wrinkled, and he had more than one gnaw mark on his neck. The Chinese boy was not thrilled.

"So! Ren, my dear friend, how went last night for you?" Yoh asked sweetly, smiling as he always did. He didn't get an answer. Silence was the tan boy's only needed weapon. So was ignoring the brown-haired "friend". Suddenly, it seemed that Yoh caught on. "You're not sore about me leaving you, are you?" he asked, smiling. Ren's gold eye twitched as he continued to organize the shelves of packages.

"No, I'm not. It was perfect. I found a ride home at midnight." The Chinese boy sarcastically growled. Yoh didn't catch onto the falseness of the statement, so he smiled. Ren just went back to arranging the chocolate. Yet, he couldn't help how his gold eyes wandered to the clock hanging on the wall. He had 4 hours to go until noon… until the coffee shop… until the spiky blue haired bartender…

His name was Horohoro, wasn't it? Yes, that was it. How could Ren have forgotten the name? It had been ringing around in his head all day, not even letting him concentrate on work. What had happened in the Chinese boy's mind that now suddenly made everything work-wise so damn hard? Why was everything so difficult to focus on?

Finally, while Ren was busy with a woman shopping for perfume for her daughter, the large clock off to the corner began to chime noon. Without so much as a goodbye to the woman, the Chinese boy leaped and ran off to the break room. After grabbing his coat and taking off his nametag, Ren ran out of the store and into the busy mall.

Eventually slowing down, Ren really began to wonder if this was for real or not… Maybe the bartender had only asked him out just to make him sweat, when in reality he was just going to stand him up. It wouldn't be the first time…

But as the Chinese boy walked around the corner, he saw blue spiky hair seated in the coffee shop window. For one brief moment, Ren smiled… but quickly wiped off the look, and entered the coffee house. He walked right up to the counter, unaware that the bartender rose from his seat and took a place in line behind him. After ordering a non-fat latte, he reached into his pocket for money only to see an arm come out from behind him and place $5 down. The barista looked at the man behind Ren, and so the boy with gold eyes spun around to also do so. It was Horohoro, smiling as he said, "I'll pay for it," and he took Ren's wrist carefully as he guided him over to their table, not waiting for the change.

Horohoro smiled as Ren sat across from him. The golden eyes looked at what the bartender had gotten. It was a frappuccino, almost completely frozen. Why would anyone get an ice-cold drink when it was 29 degrees Fahrenheit outside? The guy with blue hair seemed to noticed and said, "I was born in Alaska, so I'm used to the cold."

The Chinese boy blushed and nodded. Finally, after a very long silence, Horohoro blurted out, "You never told me your name." Ren nodded, a barista setting his drink in front of him. There was another long silence, and Ren suddenly realized he had been informally asked what he was called, so with a slight sniff he answered, "My name's Tao Ren."

The bartender smiled, thinking that the Chinese boy in front of him could not possibly be cuter. He was even cute when he was sick, and obviously oblivious that this was a "date". But Horohoro didn't care; it was enough to see Ren again.

"So, you work at the Bon? Must be difficult with all those people, especially around this time of year," Horohoro said, warmly inviting the cute guy sitting across from him into a conversation. "Personally I think this time of year is good for some reflection. That's what winter's about after all: renewal and that kind of stuff."

In the back of his mind, Ren agreed, and he mumbled, "What about your job? Bartending sounds like a pain."

The man with blue hair threw his head back and laughed. His laugh was joyful and light, warm to hear and nicer to create, though WHY he was laughing baffled Ren. Smiling, Horohoro chuckled, "Why would it be? You're surrounded by booze all day and get to attend parties. It's really cool making all those different drinks, like chemistry, only with more rewards. Plus, if your really good you get paid a lot, so it's actually smooth sailing kind of job. Still, I have to work days that I would rather be snowboarding. Especially during the holidays, because of all those "season parties" I get stuck with, but that cloud has its silver lining: I met you, didn't I?"

Being paid a compliment from a stranger was almost unthinkable with the crappy way Ren was feeling, which was similar to someone was holding a golf ball of phlegm in the back of his throat to see if he could swallow with it there. Some color passed over the tan cheeks as he sipped more of his coffee, saying barely above a whisper, "Thank you."

The great laugh sounded again and Horohoro smirked as he beamed. "I should be thanking you. I was feeling really crappy that night. You got me in a better mood."

"Why were you in a bad mood to begin with? If you don't mind me asking…"

"I don't, see, my sister has been on my case forever for dropping out of college to be a bartender and she was at one of the last parties I was at, so she went insane that I was hired for "her" party and basically chewed my head off because I was embarrassing her and—" Horohoro continued talking and Ren was so taken with him, that he just stared into those beautiful brown eyes. The sound of his voice was fun-loving but peaceful and laid-back at the same time, and it was so rich that it just lulled Ren into a moment in which nothing mattered, not even the fact that it was past his break time.

The large clock in the middle of the mall began to toll one o'clock and Ren's eyes widened. He was late in getting back to work! He stood up suddenly and ran off yelling behind his shoulder that he was sorry he had to leave so soon, not looking back to the blue-haired bartender at all.

As soon as Ren dashed into the store, he was called over the intercom by a cruel, radio wave distorted voice yelling, "Tao Ren, report to the Store Manager's office. Tao Ren to the Store Manager's office." Ren could only catch a sorry look from Yoh as he slowly walked to the back of the store and up the nice staircases to the business offices. With each step, he could feel another lump growing in his throat; only this one was made out of fear and regret. What was going to happen to him? He hadn't done anything too bad, had he? Could this really be it?

As he reached the end of the hall and opened a small door to look inside and see a cheery-faced man with green hair, who looked incredibly like a woman. It was the Store Manager, Lyserg. Smiling, he bid the Chinese boy to take a seat, and that this wouldn't take long. Whether or not this was a good thing, Ren didn't know.

"Well, Ren, I know how important your job is too your life, and how much you appreciate this company," Lyserg started out, his tone almost creepily calm and kind. Any minute, a monster was expected to jump out of his stomach and eat Ren's head off with a cruel laugh, but no such thing occurred. "However, you don't seem very good with time. By the look of the tan line on your wrist, you lost your watch, hm?"

"Actually, sir, it broke," Ren mumbled, not sure if it was a rhetorical question or not. Lyserg tittered in an odd way and took a box out of his drawer, handing it across the oak-wood desk to the Chinese boy with ever-watchful gold eyes.

As Ren opened it, Lyserg said, "I value you a lot, Ren. You never complain and always do your job beyond your ability. So here's a watch so that you can stay on top of the time. I hope it'll work for you. And Happy Christmas."

Ren put the watch on and thanked Lyserg gratefully, soon rejoining his coworkers down in the store. Of course, Yoh had to ask a million times what had happened and why HE was so lucky.

Soon after closing, Ren walked out of the store into the cold and windy night. Snow clung to his hair as he trudged through the lit-up streets emptying of shoppers and shop owners alike… but all with someone to go home too.

Ren wished with all his heart that there was someone he had to go home to, especially in three days, when Christmas would arrive. That, and that he would get over this cold soon. Funny how it had never really bothered him until now… when he was old enough to need love yet young enough to have never experienced it.

Just then, a blue Ferrari pulled up next to Ren as he looked in the window to see Horohoro, smiling meekly and unlocking the car door. Without a word, Ren got in and sat there in the warm car as the bartender drove him home.

The blue-haired guy parked in the empty driveway and followed Ren up the steps to his front door, all in silence. As Ren was unlocking the door, he could feel Horohoro's warm breath on the back of his neck, tantalizingly tickling the nerves in his body. He opened the door a jar and turned back around to look into the warm dark eyes. "Do you want to come in?" he asked softly, sniffing his runny nose, as he blushed a bit. Loneliness had gotten the better of him.

Horohoro smiled, but declined, saying, "Maybe some other time, Ren. I should be getting home… I wanted to give you my phone number." He dug out a card and scribbled some numbers on the back of it, placing it in Ren's gloved shivering hand. Yet their hands didn't move apart after that, and instead stayed touching as the eyes looked at each other.

Slowly, the eyes closed, the bartender bent down and touched Ren's cool lips with his own, Ren's own mouth responding. Their lips moved over one another's in a ritual motion, rubbing heat into such a simple thing as a kiss. Lacing his arms up around Horohoro's neck, Ren pressed his body against him, feeling gravitation towards the blue-haired man. He felt two hands rest on his hips as he slowly opened his eyes and his shivering lips parted from Horohoro's. In his eyes was such tender emotion that Ren could not describe how deeply the entire experience touched him.

They said goodnight and parted, Horohoro for some reason being giddy and happy as ever. Ren was in a daze and remained that way until he slipped into bed and held himself, imagining that the bartender was holding him again. His very first kiss had been from a bartender, and had gotten him drunk.


	6. Love Like You'll Never Get Hurt

**Well, here it is, have fun.**

Chapter 6: Love Like You'll Never Get Hurt

Tao Ren knew enough to not call the bartender right away, and to wait a while to make himself appear less desperate than he really was, but he waited so long that he forgot to call him the day after. Of course, he was thinking about Horohoro all the time, according to his new watch, but too many things were happening at once. There was a staff meeting about taking the Christmas decorations back down and putting the New Years decorations up, about how long Christmas break was, and what to recommend the customers to buy for last-minute presents and party gifts. Yoh never stopped inviting Ren to Christmas parties, which he declined with more and more force each time.

He hated being home, it made him feel empty and alone, but the memory of the bartender comforted him. Finally, on the day of Christmas Eve, Ren remembered to call Horohoro just as lunch ended, but the number was busy. A short message of, "Happy Christmas" and "I hope you do something fun" replaced a conversation and Ren hung up absently.

The large department store closed at ten o'clock and the employees exchanged gifts and "Happy Christmas" as they rushed home to their families and lovers. Ren was left alone, walking the long way home, but he didn't want to go home, though he didn't have anywhere else to go.

It took the Chinese boy half an hour to get to the bridge that linked the city and the suburban neighborhoods together. The snow was falling in swirls and wisps, very much unlike how it used to fall. More gentle, Ren thought, and less cold, but it was still freezing and his feet were slowly getting number. Reaching out a hand, Ren felt the frozen metal beneath his leather glove, and stopped to look down at the river, with its ice chunks still drifting along.

Despite everything in his life that had been selfish and wrong, he looked down at the river and sniffed his runny nose, hoping that through some miracle he didn't have to go home to all of his emptiness, which had become his only bedfellow. Loneliness pulled at his heart and Ren's eyes began to water as he leaned more heavily against the dark metal bridge, only a few lone cars passing by every now and then.

He had no Christmas cheer, no Christmas dinner at home, no tree, no bright lights, no presents, and no one special waiting for him. It was a vain dream that he would be able to see the bartender when he needed him the most, but still, the Chinese boy hoped. The river below looked beckoning and comforting, and soft enough to cradle Ren if he should fall… or jump. Sadly, he turned away and just kept walking, leaving the river behind him with its miniature icebergs and evil thoughts.

Without a friend around, Ren walked the white sidewalks piled up with grey sludge from the streets, and looked at the houses he was passing. Every window was lit from a warm light within, family and friends were sitting around and eating wonderful dinners, music and laughter filtered out from the windows and doors to dance around Ren's head. Each house he passed reminded Ren of all the lack of cheer that waited at his own house.

A group of carolers walked past Ren, chanting "O Holy Night" and not a single one paid him any mind. Ren just bent his head. All he felt like was one lonesome blur in the world. He was nothing, he was lonely, and he would be spending a cold Christmas Eve all alone. A tear fell down his cheek.

The gold eyes could hardly believe the view when he approached his out house. It was the only one without any light or laughter radiating from it. Darkness and emptiness dripped from the dark window, like his gold eyes. Nevertheless, the Chinese boy budged his door open with a grunt and turned on his house lights.

A yell escaped his lips as four people jumped out from his rooms into his hall. Christmas music was playing on his stereo and there was the distinct smell of turkey wafting from his kitchen, and four people were yelling, "Happy Christmas, Ren!" Faust had a green apron with a few brown blotches on it; Christmas lights surrounded Yoh; Manta smelled like pine, and Horohoro… Horohoro was wearing a red ribbon around his head instead of his headband.

At once Ren was pulled into the living room, which had been transformed into a priceless scene. There was a tall Christmas tree in the corner, covered with decadent balls and tinsel, with piles of gifts stuffed under it. Lights lined the top trim of the walls and the windows of the entire first floor, and Manta had obviously done something more: there was nicer furniture and better rugs throughout the house. Tears came to Ren's gold eyes as he was ushered around his house, which now was alive and full, no emptiness remaining. His dining room had a new table and chair set with beautiful Chinese symbols embroidered on the tablecloth, and then into the kitchen, where Faust had an entire banquet laid out. There was turkey in the oven, pecan and pumpkin pies, mashed potatoes, jasmine rice, and much more. It all looked so beautiful as Ren looked around at his new surroundings and people in his life, that he tilted his head over and began sobbing uncontrollably.

Faust, Manta and Horohoro stared at Ren, not knowing what to do, or why he was crying, but Yoh knew better. Yoh smiled and began laughing gently. Reaching his arms out, Horohoro held Ren close, rubbing his back as he cried.

"Thank you," Ren choked out, burying his face in the bartender's shoulder. "But why-?"

"Because we wanted to," Yoh said happily. "And Horohoro thought it might be nice for you. Well, we all sort of came up with it. Manta funded it." Yoh wrapped his arms around Manta's neck and kissed his cheek happily.

Manta smiled and admitted, "I wanted to do something for you."

Ren leaned his head against Horohoro, as he looked around at his other three friends, not knowing what to do.

"Something for both of you," Faust added knowingly.

A blush came over Ren's cheeks and the bartender's as well. Had this all been a plan set up by Yoh and Manta to get them each someone? It seemed unlikely… but not impossible. Suddenly, Ren burst out laughing, tear still falling down his cheeks. It was the first time anyone had heard him that happy and joyful, including himself. So, everyone else began laughing, and proceeded to sit together that night and talk, eat, and exchange more thoughtfulness than presents.


End file.
